The Capital Wasteland Football League
by Oblivion Explorer
Summary: The Capital Wasteland Football League: Designed to raise the down morale of the citizens of the waste. Can one quarterback take the worst team in the league to the top? Many hardships await, including the Wastes itself...
1. Prologue

This is a fanfic I have decided to take on for Fallout 3. I used to be an avid fanfic writer for Oblivion, but this is my first fanfic for the Fallout Universe! It tells the story of a quarterback and his team in a sports league that kept the Wastes morale up as the citizens of the Capital Wastes attempted to rebuild their fallen home.

The Capital Wasteland Football League

Prologue

After fighting for two years, the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel came to an unexpected halt in the war against one another. A treaty had been constructed, which stated that the two sides would cease fighting and evenly divide up the territory. A large line was drawn on the map of the wastes, which ran right through Germantown, which had rebuilt in to quite a big town by this time. The line was then known as the German Divide. The Brotherhood of Steel was given South Germantown and all the land south. The Enclave was given Northern Germantown and all the land to the north. Both sides had to have permission from the other to cross the German Divide, or else violators would be prosecuted under the Brotherhood's laws or the Enclave's laws. Sometimes, trespassers could even be shot.

However, peace reigned. Both sides of the line were not violated often, and for twenty years the laws stayed the same. Ironically, Elder Owyn Lyons died the same year that President Eden's power core failed, so new leaders were established over the two countries. Vincent Stephens was elected the new President of the Enclave, while Sarah Lyons took over her father's position as Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel. The two leaders then agreed to meet with each other for the purpose of trade. However, when this meeting occurred, other ideas were established. The two leaders developed a respect for one another, and the German Divide was softened. Citizens could cross the line freely as long as they abided to the other countries laws.

Towards the end of the meeting, President Stephens had a little idea in mind. He had a personal holotape on him, which included some of his favorite things. He inserted the tape in to a projector, and skipped ahead to the chapter simply labeled "FB".

"Elder Lyons, I want you to have a look at this." Stephens said.  
"Sure, go ahead." Sarah Lyons replied.

A video began to play. It was an old Vault video that was played for the Vault Residents. A man appeared on the black and white screen, which was smiling and seemed as if he was pointing at the viewers. Classic music could be heard in the background.

"Are you ready for some football?!" the man said enthusiastically. A short collaboration of clips of football games began to play as the man talked about the sport of the Pre-Wasteland world, football. On the screen, Vincent and Sarah could see a man running with a ball that had two white stripes toward the ends of the ball. This dark ball was oddly shaped. It looked as if the ball was shaped like some sort of sphere, yet it was pointy at both ends. The man had a hat on that looked thick as if it were made to protect his head. It had two or three bar-looking things that protected his face. The man also was wearing a huge white shirt that bulked out. It looked as if the man was a super human. Then the man, who was running with the ball, was tackled by another man that came on screen almost instantly. His man looked the same, except he had on a black hat an black shirt. He seemed to celebrate while the man in white got up and sulked away. Sarah, who was intrigued, leaned forward.

The next clip showed many men that were lined up facing each other. One side was wearing white, while the other side wore a darker color. A man in white, who seemed to be standing while the rest of his group was crouching, yelled.

"Hike!"

Seemingly out of no where, a ball was thrown from under the legs of one of the mean wearing white to the man standing in white who yelled Hike. Men in darker colored shirts ran in to the men wearing white. They seemed fixed on getting to the man who had the ball in white. All of a sudden, the man wearing white threw the ball, over both the white and dark shirts, to another man wearing white. He caught the ball, and began to run down the field. A man in a dark shirt tried to tackle him, but the man in the white shirt dodged him by moving to the side very swiftly. The man in white, after dodging a defender, ran down field in to what the speaker pointed out to be the end zone.

"Touchdown!" the speaker yelled.

The man in white began to celebrate along with his other group members, which the speaker said were called "a team, and teammates". The video continued showing different clips, like big hits, referees, more touchdowns, field goals, a scoreboard, fans, and anything else football related. Eventually, the video concluded. Vincent Stephens turned off the projector.

"I'm impressed! That's a cool little sport!" Elder Lyons said.  
"Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. And that brings me to this... What if we made our own bunch of football teams? From all cities in the Capital Wastes?" Vincent said smiling. The excitement grew in his voice as he continued. Sarah listened intently.

"Go on. I'm listening." she said.

"Sarah, imagine! The South Germantown Bruins... or the Dunwich Braves! The Grayditch Hawks! The Republic of Dave Ghouls! The possibilities are endless!" the President exclaimed.

It seemed as if he had wanted to state this idea to someone for years. He simply could not stop smiling. He waited for Sarah to reply with anything. He would accept any sort of reply.  
"Vincent, your right. Think of it as something to keep morale up too. You know the entire Wasteland is starting to rebuild now that Purity is up and running well. This could be something that keeps the citizens going. See how their teams are doing as they build their new lives. This, this is certainly an idea." Sarah Lyons said.

Vincent seemed as if he couldn't contain himself. Then, he calmed down and became professional again. He stated more ideas.

"We can scout the land for things to use as equipment. I'm sure my friends in the Pitt can scour things we can use as well. And if not, we can use the mills up there to craft up equipment. Also, Sarah think of more possibilities. We can build arenas for each city that has a team. Everyone can go to the games! For a price of course... Not too expensive though. We want caps, but not for ourselves. Perhaps the caps go to... to... the players or.. or to the movement to rebuild America! And people can still listen in on games even if they can't be at the actual game! We can use radio! Wow, ideas are just overflowing to my head! I can't contain them all!" Vincent said. He was almost out of breath.

This is where the CWFL, of the Capital Wasteland Football League, was established. The idea was spread around to both countries, and accepted with excitement. The football holotape had other copies in other vaults around the Capital Wasteland, which were all salvaged and passed around. Soon, within two years, the project known simply as "Football 101" was underway. The CWFL began in eight settlements. There were the Tenpenny Currency, Bigtown Frenzy, Republic of Dave Monarchs, Rivet City Navy, Bethesda Oblivion, Raven Rock Patriots, Germantown Police, and the Megaton Nukes. The first two seasons were simple. Every team played one another, and the team with the best record at the end of the year was crowned Champions of the Capital Wasteland. The Raven Rock Patriots seemed almost unbeatable, going 15-1 over the first two seasons. President Vincent Stephens loved to brag that an Enclave team dominated all of the Brotherhood teams. The Rivet City Navy, which handed Raven Rock their only loss in two years, posted a 11-5 record for second. The other teams had their share of wins and losses, except for the Megaton Nukes. The Nukes, despite being in a large sized city with many potential players, did not win a single game for two years, posting a winless record of 0-16. The Nukes became the laughing stock of the league, and rumors began to swirl that the team would be disbanded after the league expanded to 24 teams, which it did during the offseason.

It had become official. Twenty four teams were established giving the Capital Wasteland a full size league. The official list was released to the citizens, which was this: The Arefu Highwaymen, The Fairfax Force, Fort Bannister Kings, Raven Rock Patriots, Megaton Nukes, North DC Brawlers, South DC Atoms, Andale Tigers, Everglow Radiation, Rivet City Navy, Republic of Dave Monarchs, Tenpenny Currency, Bigtown Frenzy, Germantown Police, Bethesda Oblivion, Hamilton Smugglers, Olney Juggernauts, Takoma Wildcats, Girdershade Shadows, Springvale Giants, Fort Bannister Rattlers, Fort Constantine Deathclaws, Grayditch Hawks, and the Dunwich Braves. Playoffs were now established as well. All 24 teams would participate in a 5 round (1 wild card + four normal rounds) tournament that would decide the Champion of the Capital Wasteland. The final game in the tournament would be played in Downtown D.C. in the largest stadium in the Wasteland, which was the Mall Front Stadium. It held 35,000 people and was built over the trenches that the Super Mutants used when they once roamed the downtown area. The CWFL was set.


	2. Chapter 1

"Damn kids. Always messing with the water pipes!" Ryan Nedd said.

Ryan Nedd, an older man, was the son of Walter Nedd, the man who used to run the Water Processing Plant in Megaton. Walter had kept the plant running for years on end, even until his death fifteen years ago. Now, it was Ryan's job, and it wasn't an easy job anymore. The pipes finally needed to be replaced in some areas, others almost needing to be replaced. It was just a mess.

"Bryan!!!" Ryan shouted. He coughed after yelling. The cigarettes were beginning to take a hold on Ryan Nedd's voice. A few moments later, Bryan Cross entered the room. He was a younger man, of only 17 years old. Bryan was a well built person, suited for his job. Dirty marks from working at the plant could be seen in many spots on his white skin and face. His chestnut hair, shaggy suave style, needed a wash.

"Yes Mr. Nedd? You called for me sir." Bryan said calmly.  
"Couple pipes broke loose again at some of the vales. Valves A1 and B3. Can you go patch them up? You know I can't with how my legs are turnin' these days." Ryan Nedd stated.  
"Yes sir, I will get right on that." Bryan said. He turned to leave but stopped himself. He remembered he needed to ask something.

"Mr. Nedd?" Bryan asked solemnly.  
"Hell is it now son?" Mr. Nedd replied.  
"I have a youth league football game around 4, and then we were gonna go to the Nukes game at 7. Since I haven't taken a sick or vacation day, do you mind if I take the rest of the day off? If not, that's fine..." Bryan trailed off. Bryan prayed the sympathetic route would get him his first day off. Ryan Nedd wiped his face with a rag and looked at Bryan.

"Son, of course you can take a day off. You work longer than any other kid that's worked around here. Take the rest of the week off. I don't care. And your weekly pay of caps is or' in the office. Sure your gonna need those to get in the game. Now get on those pipes son! Then maybe I will actually come to one of your youth games!" Mr. Nedd said.  
"Yes sir. I'm on it! Thanks!" Bryan replied with a smile.

Bryan went in to the office and counted his caps. He worked almost eight hours a day, except on Saturdays, which he worked ten. He had worked a total of 50 hours every week, getting 3 caps an hour. Bryan counted 150 caps, more than double the amount needed to get in to the Nukes game, grabbed the caps, and left the office. After a quick farewell, Bryan left the Water Processing Plant.

Ten minutes later, Bryan was working on fixing the last pipe when someone approached him.  
"What time is your game today?" the person asked. Bryan turned around and looked back. He could not see who it was at first because of the sun, which shined in his face. After a few moments, a cloud covered the sun and created some shade. Bryan could see who it was. It was his best friend, Tyler Dawson. Tyler was a little thin, and had average height. His blonde hair was just as dirty as Bryans' hair. Bryan stood up with a smile and patted Tyler on the back.  
"It starts at 4 man. Your going to be there right?" Bryan asked.  
"Yeah, I'll be there. Your playin' Freddy's team right? Know how I know that? Cause he keeps runnin' his mouth!" Tyler said.  
Bryan laughed. "You know how Freddy is. And his team isn't bad either. We will see what happens." Bryan said.  
"Agreed. Alright, well I'll see you at 4." Tyler said with a smile. He walked back in the direction he came while Bryan finished the last valve.

Later in that afternoon, the game had already started. Bryan headed off the field with his teammates in his all blue uniform. Bryan wore the number 6. Bryan's team, the Buffaloes, had already taken a 7-0 lead on Freddy's team, the Redskins. Bryan stood on the sideline, watching as the defense went on to the field. Freddy trotted on to the field with his teammates, who wore dark red uniforms. The standard 8 on 8 was set on the field.

"Back up your talk Freddy!" Bryan shouted toward the other teams quarterback.  
"I got you Bryan! Watch!" Freddy shouted back.

Freddy hiked the ball, and started the play. He dropped back to pass the ball as he watched his receivers run down field. Little did Freddy know that a defensive linemen was charging at him on his blindside. Bryan smiled before it happened. Freddy was hit hard to the ground, losing the ball in the process. The Buffaloes picked up the ball, and ran it the other way. Bryan and his teammates went ballistic as they took a 14-0 lead. Bryan simply smiled at Freddy as the fallen Quarterback got up from being sacked. Freddy shot Bryan a look and walked off the field.

This was a sign of the way the game would go. The Redskins were obliterated by the Buffaloes by a score of 42-0. The teams shook hands at midfield, with Bryan laughing at Freddy as they passed each other. Bryan, after celebrating the win with his teammates, went over to his parents who were sitting with the other few parents.  
"Great job son! Five touchdown passes! That was amazing!" Mr. Cross exclaimed as he hugged his sweaty son.  
"What your Dad said hun! Great job!" Mrs. Cross said with a smile.

Bryan was a fortunate kid. The Wastes, whether in a settlement or not, was a hard place to live in. Bryan's family was doing very well for themselves. Bryan's dad was a co-owner of the Brass Lantern with the old Leo Stahl. Mrs. Cross opened her own haircut place. She gave haircuts along with the Cross's personal robot, Wadsworth. The Cross's were the second wealthiest family in Megaton behind the greedy Colin Moriarty.

Later on that night, Bryan and Tyler were sitting at Atomic Stadium watching the Megaton Nukes play the Arefu Highwaymen. It was the last game of the third season, as the Nukes were not going to make the playoffs, sporting a 3-10 record. The Arefu Highwaymen sported a 10-3 record and were one of the best teams in the Wastes. However, the Nukes were making a game out of it, and were attempting to pull the upset. The Nukes led the Highwaymen 21-17 in the 3rd quarter. All of a sudden, another person joined Tyler and Bryan in their seats. It was Freddy. Freddy wore a red baseball cap and a black shirt that simply said "Nukes" on it covered his dark skin.

"Freddy, less smack talk next season okay?" Bryan asked with a smile.  
"Yeah, yeah. You got it. I'll give that to you." Freddy said sarcastically as he sat down. These guys made a trio of friends. They did a lot together. Football, worked together sometimes when Mr. Nedd let Bryan get help at the plant, and they even sometimes ventured a little out in to the Wastes together with their Hunting Rifles. However, they dared not go far. The Wastes were no less dangerous than they were twenty years ago.

In the 4th quarter, the score was tied at 24. All ten thousand fans were standing as they watched the Nukes drive down field to the Highwaymen's fifteen yard line. There was only twenty seconds left on the clock. The Nukes lined up their eight players against the Highwaymen's eight players. The Nukes, in their Red and Yellow uniforms with the atomic cymbol painted on their helmets, lined up against the Highwaymen's eight players, who sported White and black uniforms, with a raider painted on their silver helmets.

The Nukes quarterback dropped back to pass. He threw it to a receiver in the end zone, but the worst mistake occurred. The receiver did not make the catch, and the ball was tipped in the air. An Arefu player caught the tipped ball and ran the other way. The fans watched in shock as the Highwayman sprinted down the sideline. The Megaton Nukes quarterback tried to make the tackle, but he was outran by the Highwaymen defender. Arefu ended up winning the game 31-24. Fans left the stadium in stunned silence.

The three boys stood together quietly. Then Freddy broke the silence.

"Maybe next year…" Freddy said solemnly.

"Probably not. Were never gonna be good enough to make the playoffs…" Tyler said.

"You never know guys…. You never know…" Bryan said.

The boys then shuffled out of Atomic Stadium with the other sulking fans. Everyone headed toward the Megaton entrance.

Suddenly, while people entered back in to the city, gunshots were fired. A pack of raiders jumped out from behind the rocks surrounding the entrance to the city, and charged at the mob of people with guns blazing. People began to panic and ran inside the entrance, screaming. The boys hurried toward the entrance with the crowd. However, when they reached the entrance, Bryan heard a cry. Bryan stopped and turned around. He saw a little brown haired boy, probably ten years old, being chased by a raider. The raider tackled the boy to the ground. As soon as they hit the ground, Bryan darted as fast as he could toward the kid and the raider, who were scuffling on the rocky surface.

"Bryan! No!" Tyler shouted. Bryan didn't stop. He was so close to the kid when the raider pulled a knife out. His eyes, full of evil, met the boys frightened eyes. Before he could stab the kid, Bryan slammed all of his weight in to the attacker. The raider was sent flying off the little boy. Before he could comprehend what just happened, a fist pummeled in to the raiders jaw, knocking him out cold. Bryan grabbed the knife, which had fallen to the ground, and held it firm. He could kill the raider. The power was at his fingertips. However, something stopped him from committing the deed. He threw the knife in to the cluster of rocks ten feet away. The boy, now standing, ran over to Bryan and clutched his leg. Bryan looked at the boy.

"Where are your parents?!" Bryan shouted over the commotion at the boy. The boy simply shook his head, and began to cry. Bryan had no other option than to take the boy with him. He picked the boy up and ran back to where he had left Freddy and Tyler. Both of his friends were still standing there.

"Come on! We have to get inside!" Freddy yelled. The boys ran toward the entrance just as the Megaton guards were rushing out. The raiders, seeing that their "fun" was over, ran back in to the night. The rock clusters covered them as they rushed out in to the night.

Bodies were strewn about in front of the Megaton entrance.

After the boys were back inside Megaton, they ran as fast as they could toward their homes. As they approached Bryan's home, Freddy stopped them.

"What are you going to do about the kid Bryan?" he asked.

"I don't know Freddy… I don't think he has any parents here with him…" Bryan responded.

Freddy nodded in return. They stood in silence for a few moments, and then Freddy and Tyler departed back to their homes. Bryan walked up on to the deck of his house. He was about to open the door when he noticed a letter sitting on the doorstep. He picked it up and examined it.

A Megaton Nukes symbol was on the front of the letter.

Bryan smiled at the sight, thinking he had won some silly prize for attending all the home games that season, and put the letter in his pocket. Bryan put one of his fingers at his mouth, telling the boy to be very quiet as they entered. Bryan opened the door in to the house, entered quietly with the boy on his back, and closed the door. He sneaked in to his room and closed the door. He dropped the boy on the floor.

Bryan examined the boy. He had light brown hair, white skin, and brown eyes. He seemed as though he hadn't washed in months, as the boy had dirt marks all over his body. His shirt and shorts also had dirt on them, which showed that they hadn't been washed in months either. The boy seemed scared. Images of the raider kept r unning through his mind.

"You can stay here for the night. Tomorrow, we're gonna go find your parents." Bryan said.

Finally, the boy spoke.

"I don't have any parents… They're dead." the boy said softly.

Bryan stood in silence. The boy was an orphan, and probably lived in the Wastelander Common House in the southeastern corner of Megaton. All of the orphans or lone wastelanders all stayed there. It was an awfully dirty place, and was tightly packed from all the homeless. Bryan began to feel sorry for the kid. He had no home or family. The boy had nothing.

"What's your name?" Bryan asked.

"Jake." He said.

"Well Jake, my name is Bryan Cross. Do you need anything? Water? Food?" Bryan asked.

"No… Just need sleep… I haven't had a real sleep in days. I live in the common house by myself. I share beds with three or four people. Sometimes even five. I just can't sleep…" Jake said. He seemed as if he would cry again at any moment.

"Well, you have a bed. At least for tonight. Now get some sleep. You can use my bed tonight, so don't worry." Bryan said.

"Thanks… and thanks for ummm, you know, … saving me. I thought I was gonna die." Jake said.

"Don't worry about it. Goodnight." Bryan said.

"Goodnight." Jake said. Jake got in to Bryan's bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Bryan grabbed one of the blankets from the bed, which woke Jake up for a moment, but he fell back asleep instantly. Bryan then grabbed a pillow, laid both the pillow and blanket on the ground, and laid down on top of them.

"What am I gonna tell my parents?" He thought to himself. Just as he was falling asleep, his thoughts moved to the letter in his pocket. Bryan decided he would wait to open the letter in the morning. He dozed off in to a deep sleep.


End file.
